R&D Technician, Physical Vapor Deposition at Tandem PV in Fremont, CA

At Tandem PV, we are a team of people who are passionate about building a more sustainable world by bringing cost effective solar panels onto the market. We’re scaling metal-halide perovskite solar technology to make best-in-class mechanically stacked tandem modules.   We have built efficient, durable cells, monolithic multi-cell submodules, and packaged modules with our scalable, low-cost process. Our next focus is expanding our team to work in our new pilot manufacturing facility.

What You’ll Do

You’ll be working in our R&D lab alongside engineers and technicians, helping develop and refine solar panel production processes. No prior industry experience? No problem! If you’re willing to learn and work hard, we’ll teach you everything you need to know. Your daily tasks will involve:

• Laser scribing

• Vacuum deposition

• Maintenance of tools

• Track Inventory of parts and order as appropriate

• Running tests to see how different materials perform.

• Keeping accurate notes on what worked and what didn’t.

• Keeping the workspace organized and equipment in good condition.

• Learning from experienced teammates and growing your technical skills.

To be great at this role, you will have:

• Can work flexible hours

• Comfortable wearing a respirator

• Safety and compliance: Adhere to all safety protocols and regulations, participate in training, wear proper safety equipment, and maintain good housekeeping standards.

• Quality assurance: Perform basic quality control procedures, such as inspecting finished products, testing components, and identifying defects.

• Machine operation: Safely operate machinery for solar panel production, such as equipment for vacuum deposition, laser scribing and testing.

• Process monitoring: Monitor production processes and equipment parameters to ensure efficiency and adherence to quality specifications.

• Material handling: Assist in handling, storing, and moving raw materials and half-/finished products within the production area.

• Basic maintenance: Perform simple maintenance and cleaning on equipment as needed and respond to machine alarms.

• Teamwork and communication: Work collaboratively with team members and supervisors to resolve issues, achieve production targets, and provide data reporting when required.

Qualifications:

We can teach a lot, but there are some basics you’ll need to know to hit the ground running, that includes:

• High school diploma or GED.

• Ability to follow work instructions and procedures.

• Proficiency with hand tools.

• Mechanical aptitude and problem-solving skills.

• Attention to detail.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, often while standing for long periods.

• Good attendance and communication skills.

• Willingness to perform repetitive tasks.

Tandem PV uses perovskite & silicon mechanically-stacked tandems to upgrade silicon solar panels, sharply decreasing installed systems costs, significantly increasing module manufacturing profit margins, and opening up vast new solar markets in the US and worldwide. TPV was co-founded by Stanford PhDs Colin Bailie and Chris Eberspacher; is advised by industry experts from Corning, First Solar, Vivint Solar, and Kateeva; has raised more than $50M in Series A funding. We were recently recognized as the Best Pre-Commercial Venture of 2025 by the Industry Growth Forum (IGF)

We are a team of people who are passionate about building a more sustainable world by delivering a new generation of solar panels to the market. We are constantly growing and are always looking for dedicated, hardworking, and empathetic teammates.

Tandem PV is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.